1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of access control systems and, more particularly, to an apparatus, a system, and a method for controlling and directing the movement of people or objects between unsecured and secured areas.
2. Description of the Background
There is an increasing need and desire to control access to certain areas depending on whether a person is approved to enter that area, without impeding the general flow of traffic in the surrounding areas. An access control system should be able to be customized to a user""s preferences, enabling its use in a variety of environments, including airports, power plants, manufacturing facilities, research facilities, prisons, office buildings, etc. Such a system should require minimal human supervision, be universally understandable, and be very user-friendly.
Current access control systems suffer the problems of: (1) impeding or slowing the movement of traffic; (2) requiring a large staff to run the system; (3) requiring two systems in any given area, one for traffic in each direction; (4) lacking the ability to be customized to a user""s security needs; (5) lacking the ability to be customized to a user""s aesthetic desires; (6) being dangerous; (7) lacking compatibility with current bag or luggage processing technologies; and (8) causing damage to the surroundings during installation. One or more of these problems are prevalent in current and past access control systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,692 to Kellem et al. (the xe2x80x9c""692 patentxe2x80x9d) is one of the more advanced patented access control systems. The ""692 patent discloses a rapid access door system in which authorized individuals pass through bi-fold doors to a secure area and unauthorized individuals are directed through a side door to an unsecured area. The ""692 patent suffers from many of the above-identified problems. The use of bi-fold doors, with exposed moving hinges that extend into the path of a person walking towards the doors, poses multiple dangers. First, the exposed hinges and the three pivot axes present numerous opportunities for fingers, toes, shoes, etc. to get caught, pinched, and cut. Second, the lead edges of the bi-fold doors close toward the person walking through the ""692 patented portal, thus threatening to catch the person between the closing doors and cause injury. The design of the bi-fold doors"" lead edges and the design of the bi-fold doors"" closing direction creates a funnel-like area that draws a person into a smaller and smaller pinch point.
Additional pinch points exist in the ""692 patented invention where the doors swing toward and away from the frame and at the point where the hinges are fastened to the frame. Similar to the funnel shaped area created by the closing doors, as the doors open they create two pinch points between the doors and the exterior of the door control modules. More specifically, those pinch points are located between the doors, the frame, and the hinges. Additional pinch points occur where the linked sliding door panels enter the door control modules. The door panels sliding into and out of the door control modules create opportunities for the dragging and pinching of fingers, skin, loose clothing, or jewelry. Finally, the space between the bottom of the doors, or the sliding panels, and the floor creates an area in which shoes and feet can be pinched and scratched.
Without extreme modifications, the ""692 patent does not accommodate bi-directional traffic. The authorization means and side opening are located on just one side of the bi-fold door. That, in combination with the fact that there is only one entrance that lacks a door, limits the movement of traffic through the system to one direction. Therefore, any lobby or entrance area accommodating two-way traffic needs two of the systems described in the ""692 patent.
The ""692 patent discloses a pair of bi-fold doors that alternatively block one of two different openings. Therefore, at all times, one opening is unrestricted and one opening is blocked. The ""692 patented system cannot be used to enclose a person, should the user desire that option. Nor can the ""692 patented system be used with all doorways open.
Thus, a need exists to advance the current technology related to access control systems to solve the above-identified problems. In particular, a need exists for an access control system that is safe, is customizable, is adaptable to a variety of environments, improves traffic flow, and requires minimal human supervision.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus, a system, and a method for controlling and directing the movement of people and objects by using a plurality of panels, doors, or door-like structures. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to an apparatus having a first pair of end barriers defining an entrance. The first pair of end barriers moves between a first position in which the entrance is open and a second position in which the entrance is blocked. A second pair of end barriers defines an end egress located opposite and spaced apart from the entrance so as to define a walkway therebetween. The second pair of end barriers moves between a first position in which the end egress is open and a second position in which the end egress is blocked. A first side barrier defines a first side egress relative to the walkway. The first side barrier moves between a first position in which the first side egress is open and a second position in which the first side egress is blocked. Finally, one or more support structures hold the barriers in an upright manner and facilitate movement of the barriers between the barriers"" respective first and second positions. The apparatus of the present invention can be customized to a user""s needs and wants. Options for customizing the present invention will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments herein.
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of controlling traffic with a plurality of panels. Alternatively, a plurality of doors or door-like structures may be used as a substitute for or in conjunction with the plurality of panels. A first pair of panels separating an unsecured area from a walkway moves from an open position to a blocked position after a person passes therethrough. The person is then approved or disapproved. If the person is approved, a second pair of panels separating the walkway from a secured area moves from an open position to a blocked position after the approved person passes therethrough. Otherwise, the second pair of panels separating the walkway from the secured area moves from an open position to a blocked position before the person can pass therethrough. The person is directed from the walkway to a second unsecured area and a first side panel separating the second unsecured area from the walkway moves from an open position to a blocked position after the person passes therethrough. The present invention also is directed to moving the second pair of panels separating the walkway from the secured area from the open position to the blocked position before the person can pass therethrough, and moving the first side panel separating the second unsecured area from the walkway from the open position to the blocked position, thereby trapping the person within the panels.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system having a first pair of panels defining an entrance. The first pair of panels moves between a first position in which the entrance is open and a second position in which the entrance is blocked. The first pair of panels connects a walkway with a first unsecured area. A second pair of panels defines an end egress located opposite the entrance at the end of the walkway. The second pair of panels moves between a first position in which the end egress is open and a second position in which the end egress is blocked. The second pair of panels connects the walkway with a secured area. A first side panel defines one edge of a first side egress from the walkway. The first side panel moves between a first position in which the first side egress is open and a second position in which the first side egress is blocked. The first side panel connects the walkway with a second unsecured area.
The present invention offers many advantages over the prior art. Because the present invention does not employ bi-fold doors, there are no exposed hinges or pinch points that endanger users. The present invention""s panels close away from the user, thus giving the user sufficient time and warning to stop his or her movement towards the end egress. The present invention employs separate panel(s) for each entrance or egress. As a result, the panels can be positioned to close all or none of the passages at any given time. This gives the present invention the unique capability of confining people within the apparatus. Additionally, because all of the panels can be left in an open position, the present invention can also act like a passive walkthrough area.
The structural differences between the present invention and the prior art give the present invention several distinct advantages over the existing technology. The present invention""s panels may be configured to remain slightly ajar, thus eliminating the xe2x80x9cjaws of deathxe2x80x9d problem experienced with some existing access control technology. The parallel panels may be placed in or on channels, thus requiring less power to actuate the panels than heavier, more complicated bi-fold doors and other door structures. Additionally, because the panels are lighter in weight and require less power to actuate than do bi-fold doors, the panels can be closed with less force thus, protecting users from being xe2x80x9cslammedxe2x80x9d between the doors. A final advantage of using lighter weight panels (as opposed to bi-fold and other door structures) is that the present invention is more easily adapted to a mobile unit.
The present invention""s entrance is equipped with a pair of panels preventing a person from exiting the walkway through the entrance once the person has entered the walkway. These entrance panels also prevent those people waiting in the queue from entering the walkway too quickly. The present invention works with all panels open as the default, with all panels blocking the entrance and egresses as the default, or with a combination of the entrance and egresses in the open or blocked position depending on the user""s preference. When in motion, the present invention""s panels intrude into less of the walkway than do bi-fold doors, thus, posing less of a safety risk to people walking quickly across the walkway. The present invention accommodates two-way traffic. Thus, a lobby or other area requires one of the present invention, instead of needing two of the competing technologies.
The exposed elements of the present invention can be constructed entirely out of non-metallic materials, such as panels made from a polycarbonate laminate and a support structure made from a thermoset polymer composite, an elastomeric polymer composite, a thermoplastic polymer composite, a non-reinforced polymer, or a metal-plastic hybrid. This is useful to users who desire to have the present invention customized to be used with metal detectors.
Another advantage of the present invention is that its basic design makes it handicapped accessible. This is not true of all prior art technologies, particularly technologies employing revolving doors and other complicated door-like structures. This also eliminates the need of having additional door structures available to accommodate handicapped individuals or individuals pushing strollers, etc. Additionally, the present invention may be modified to employ a conveyor belt or moving walkway instead of a stationary walkway. Such a modification allows the present invention to process people or objects. Those advantages and benefits, and others, will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments herein below.